A poignant snapshot of life during the Belfast Blitz of WWII
Set in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1941, this is a snapshot of one middle class family’s day to day life during the time of the Belfast Blitz. In the opening chapters we meet each of the members of the Bell family. Philip Bell a GP, his wife Florence and their three children, Emma, Audrey and Paul. The two girls now grown up, with Audrey working in the tax office (Inland Revenue) and Emma a volunteer first aider who would like to follow in her father’s footsteps. Paul is a young teenager, and brings a lot of the light heartedness to the book with the typical interests a boy of that age in the 1940’s would have.
It covers much of the social history of the time. Emma falls in love with her volunteering groups leader – Sylvia. They find they have much in common and find mutual attraction and a love for each other. Her sister Audrey feels under ever increasing pressure to conform to what was expected back then, to marry, become a housewife and have a family of her own, something Audrey wasn’t at all sure she actually wanted.
As the book moves on and the raids continue, the attacks become ever more prolonged wreaking destruction and havoc in their wake, with many losing loved ones, their homes, everything. This part of the book is very revealing, as well as moving. I had no idea that Ireland was so badly hit during the war. Ordinary people caught up in a tragedy not of their making. It makes you stop and think about war and the utter misery it inflicts upon ordinary civilians – absolutely heartbreaking.
I enjoyed reading the acknowledgements at the end of the book. When you read how much research has gone into the writing to portray a realistic picture of life during that incredibly difficult time, it hits home that these were real people, this is a part of history that we should be reminded of. A moving and poignant story but ending with hope.
I found the narrative, especially further into the book, quite profound and have really struggled to think of what to say to give the writing the credit it deserves. I hope I’ve at least reflected on how much of an impact it had on me. To say I enjoyed the book perhaps doesn’t feel right, as there are some very moving scenes in parts, but it had me engrossed all the way through, a wonderful read.
It covers much of the social history of the time. Emma falls in love with her volunteering groups leader – Sylvia. They find they have much in common and find mutual attraction and a love for each other. Her sister Audrey feels under ever increasing pressure to conform to what was expected back then, to marry, become a housewife and have a family of her own, something Audrey wasn’t at all sure she actually wanted.
As the book moves on and the raids continue, the attacks become ever more prolonged wreaking destruction and havoc in their wake, with many losing loved ones, their homes, everything. This part of the book is very revealing, as well as moving. I had no idea that Ireland was so badly hit during the war. Ordinary people caught up in a tragedy not of their making. It makes you stop and think about war and the utter misery it inflicts upon ordinary civilians – absolutely heartbreaking.
I enjoyed reading the acknowledgements at the end of the book. When you read how much research has gone into the writing to portray a realistic picture of life during that incredibly difficult time, it hits home that these were real people, this is a part of history that we should be reminded of. A moving and poignant story but ending with hope.
I found the narrative, especially further into the book, quite profound and have really struggled to think of what to say to give the writing the credit it deserves. I hope I’ve at least reflected on how much of an impact it had on me. To say I enjoyed the book perhaps doesn’t feel right, as there are some very moving scenes in parts, but it had me engrossed all the way through, a wonderful read.